


light from the moon, shining so brightly upon you

by oceanrosiex



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future Fish, Future Fish!AU, Implied Hazuki Nagisa/Ryuugazaki Rei, Little Mermaid Elements, M/M, Merman Nanase Haruka, Minor Matsuoka Rin/Yamazaki Sousuke, makoharu - Freeform, mermaid!au, thelittlemermaid!au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-28
Updated: 2016-04-19
Packaged: 2018-03-26 03:52:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3836017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oceanrosiex/pseuds/oceanrosiex
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The moon brings about the best of the ocean, and of the night.</p>
<p>For him, the moon brought a drowning boy.</p>
<p>For Makoto, the moon brought him Haru.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. the little mermaid found the prince

**Author's Note:**

> i think we all want to have a love as easy and as beautiful as the little mermaid sometimes
> 
> (expect short chapters with terrible formatting sorrynotsorry)

 the little mermaid found the prince

少し人魚は王子を見つけました

 

~

 

Living as if you were in limbo is a strange feeling. The emotion that takes over you when you realize, even for a moment, that you are spending your days repeating what you did the day before, is sometimes incomprehensible. The thought is oddly sickening, psychological, and yet bearable at the same time.

 

Makoto realized he was lost in limbo when he was sitting in a restaurant with his friends. It was loud, partly because of Rin and Nagisa. Rei was trying to calm both of them down as usual, and Sousuke was just watching the scene in amusement. They had finished dinner a while ago, and were now just killing time. Makoto laughed like he usually did, and then after smiling at them all, turned to the window to look out at the moon, the night, and the ocean. Then he saw the deliveryman drive by again. And frowning, he noticed the lights by the dock flicker out of power again, and the same repairman as the day before went up to fix it again. Iwatobi really was a town on repeat.

 

Realizing this, Makoto refused to let this horrifying epiphany ruin his friends’ night. He kept a smile on his face, and hid his shaking hands under the table. When his friends finally decided to call it a night, Makoto politely declined their offer for a ride home, and walked down by the dock by himself. He had walked home the same way the day before as well. And it would’ve been silly to take a different route and try something out of routine, when following the docks were the easiest way to get home. So he stayed on the sidewalk, accepting the fact that he was living on repeat, lost in limbo.

 

Makoto didn’t always realize he was in limbo. Sometimes, unexpected things happened and at those moments, Makoto would feel overwhelming senses of emotion and life, life that the event breathed into him and forced his heart to start pumping again. Like when Rei thought Nagisa was a robot, and Makoto spent his entire day off trying to calm him down, and they ended up running after a naked Nagisa with Rin and Sousuke, and learning how Nagisas secret was not that he was a robot, but he was helping his “fellow shotas”, by giving them a ride to rob an ice cream palor. Nagisa and the other two were arrested and Rei was so angry yet relieved, and Rin and Sousuke were stressed out of their minds, and Makoto had thought the entire day was so hilarious that he never forgot the details of the sheer ridiculousness that life could provide. But those moments were rare, and even if Makoto was a fireman, who had a different adventure every single day, he never really had any unexpected moments.

 

Makoto never really thought hard enough about unexpected moments to tear himself away from his limbo. He simply put it as he was comfortable and content, and that was good enough.

 

One day, there's a house fire by the cliffs overlooking the sea, and though Makoto finds the water beautiful, green and blue and silver, there are red flames exploding into the dark sky, and something goes wrong, the moon falls out of routine-for the smallest second. The house explodes into flames, and Makoto is thrown from the edge and falls off the cliff, falling into the water below. The moon is shining brightly, and underwater Makoto is falling. Falling through shades of blue, then green, then light. And Makotos eyes are open, but slowly, ever so slowly, his mouth stays open, water fills his system and his eyes start to fade. His movements fall limp through the heaviness of the water and his firemans outfit is starting to drown him. The last thing he thinks is "drowning" and the last thing he maybe sees is a dark silhouette coming towards him. When he wakes up, he's on the shore of the beach and someone's above him but his vision is so blurred he can't make out their face. Weakly, he raises his hand to their face and he feels smooth skin, soft hair, and can see blue eyes. And he's curious now, but they pull away as shouts get louder and Makoto falls into darkness again.

 

When his eyes open, the first thing he see is a soft light streaming onto the ceiling. Groaning, he turns onto his side and realizes he’s in his room. He’s in a white t-shirt and sweatpants, and slightly flushes, wondering who changed his clothes. Makoto manages to sit up slowly, and yawning, glances at his nightstand. His alarm clock says 8 AM. Then the door is opened quietly, and Rin’s head pokes in.

 

“You idiot! You’re awake already? Now the little monster has to come in.” Makoto blinks sleepily at his friend. “Wha?” He mumbles, yawning again as the door is forced open wider and all his friends spill into the small room.

 

Everything becomes a bit much at that point - Nagisa is bouncing around the room screaming, “You survived!! You blew up and you survived!!” Rei is trying to calm himself down from becoming an absolute emotional mess by feverishly checking the Makotos temperature and rattling off numbers and disease and injuries that really don’t matter. Rin is screaming at both him and Nagisa, something about “You guys are idiots!! I can’t believe I hang out with you idiots!!” And Makoto is still confused, because what happened?

 

Sousuke walks in last, in casual clothes, not his policeman outfit, which makes Makoto tilt his head because now that he thinks about it, all of his friends who have jobs- are all screaming in his room.

 

What happened? What happened and how was it able to bring Nagisa and Rei from the laboratory and Sousuke and Rin from the city?

 

Sousuke sits on the edge of the bed, and gives Makoto a small smile. “I’m glad you’re alright. You probably don’t remember what happened right?” Makoto nodded slowly.

 

Sousukes face fell, like it hurt to remember and retell the story. “There was a big fire on the cliffs overlooking the ocean, you know that big wooden house up there. It was bad, and you were near the house when it exploded, like a bomb. And the force was so big, you were blasted off the cliff, and you fell straight into the ocean below. Somehow, we found you washed up on the shore, and everyone called it a miracle.”

 

Sousuke smiled again. “You’re lucky. The full moon was on your side that night.” Makoto had grunted and nodded, but he knew in his head, it wasn’t the moon who saved him. Who had saved him? Sousuke patted his shoulder, and got up to gather everybody out of the room.

 

Somebody had saved him…

 

Sousuke said softly “Get some rest.” then closed the door, and the room fell silent again and Makoto let out a breath of relief. He flopped back onto the pillows and after thinking about it some more, closed his eyes. He knew he wouldn’t be getting any rest, because the minute he closed his eyes, he would only see soft hair, smooth skin, and blue eyes.


	2. the little mermaid met the prince

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm really sorry these chapters are so short oh my god
> 
> (btw there’s a difference between found and met)

the little mermaid met the prince

少し人魚は王子に会った

 

~

 

After three weeks, he had finally healed enough to go back to the firehouse. Then, his boss took one look at him and put him on lunch duty. “What? Why?” Makoto cried. “You’re distracted. And really, a break would do you good. Don’t worry about it.” Makoto couldn’t really argue with his boss. He did feel distracted. He couldn’t stop thinking about blue eyes and the fact that everywhere he seemed to go was on repeat. He noticed the limbo he had always been lost in, and it unnerved him to no end. But he couldn’t do anything about it, so he decided to go to the café next door that he had never had to go to (because he had never been put on lunch duty, and the awareness that he was finding a new path in limbo was messing with his head.)

 

He pushed the door open and the first thing he saw when he looked up were blue eyes, and Makoto felt an electric shock. But he couldn’t question it or dive deeper, because he felt himself walking forward on autopilot and suddenly he was in front of a boy with blue eyes and his whole body is being electrocuted, but somehow he finds a way to smile calmly and roughly push the strange feelings away. His mind feels numb, though and he realizes that he rambles on about the large party tray for the “hungry firemen” next door. Makoto realizes that it was his electrified brain trying to be funny.

 

The boy says nothing, just simply nods and goes into the back, returning a few minutes later with two trays full of bags. Makoto marvels at his quickness and takes the bags happily. After saying goodbye, he went back to the firehouse, and everybody enjoyed the food so much, Makoto came back over again later that night to tell the boy(and also to see him again, those blue eyes, but that was just a minor/major thing). The store is empty and locked, and Makoto barely catches the boy leaving out back in the alley between the two buildings. “Hey!” He calls, and runs up to the boy, who looks surprised to see him. Makoto smiles and tells him that the food was really good and he’ll be sure to come back for lunch again the next day. The boy nodded, and Makoto remembers to introduce himself.

 

“Oh! My name is Tachibana Makoto. It’s nice to meet you.” After a moment of waiting for the boy to respond (he doesn’t.) Makoto awkwardly laughs and starts to talk, for some reason about the fish he had when he was a child but after a moment of no replies, he awkwardly wonders if the boy is mute. The boy motions for him to follow, and Makoto does, wonderfully attracted by his blue eyes. He follows him to the beach, where the boy sits down on the sand, seemingly not caring about his clothes and after a moment, Makoto decides to sit down anyways, regardless of the sand in his clothes he'll have to deal with later. Makoto asks him if he's mute, and the boy only looks at him, then starts to draw something in the sand. Makoto asks if it's a fish, and the boy nods. He draws a one right next to it. “First fish?” Makoto asks him, and he nods pointing at Makoto. Then he draws two hands dropping something into the other. “Give?” Makoto asks, and the boy nods, pointing at himself. “Give you the name of the first fish I had?” Makoto asks, and the boy nods, looking triumphant. Makoto looked the boy over, debating which name he should "give" him. He just assumed it was fine to give someone a name, if they couldn't tell it to you themselves. "Haru." Makoto said, rolling the simple sounds on his tongue. "Haru." The boy, Haru, looks pleased. And the sun sets, yet they're still looking into each other's eyes. Green meeting blue, edges of each other's faces blurred from the light of the moon.


	3. the little mermaid loved the prince

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the shortest one yet
> 
> trust me they'll start to get longer.

the little mermaid loved the prince

少し人魚は王子を愛し

 

~

 

Makoto didn't question how Haru had two trays full of food ready for him to take over to the firemen the next day. He smiled warmly, and Haru almost shyly looked away. Makoto was able to convince his boss to let him off for the next couple days, and everything goes off smoothly, although his boss does say he expects more from him when he gets back. Makoto doesn’t tell him that the main reason for his leave is not to get back into shape, but to talk to the boy with the blue eyes, which really his boss doesn’t need to know. He decides to go to the cafe and talk to Haru again, who he likes, a lot. A lot more than he should. But he didn't want to ruin anything, like any other normal people, so he just pushed away his want and need for more, and curiosity( because he was still curious) and walked in with a smile. Haru is behind the counter and looks at Makoto when he enters. Haru motions for him to wait a minute, then he goes into the back, then comes back out dressed in regular clothes(a blue t-shirt and ripped dark jeans with the same tennis shoes as the day before) and motions Makoto to follow him. Makoto does so happily. They spend the day mindlessly walking around the town square, looking at shop windows, eating dinner together, feeding birds peices of bread. Makoto talks throughout it all, filling in the empty gaps of silences that usually would come up. But even with just Makoto talking, it felt alright. Like it was normal. And even though it was out of routine, and this had never happened to Makoto before, he was fine with it. He liked Haru, and he knew he was just going to enjoy his time with him and see where it went. And though Makoto doubted himself sometimes, he noticed the way Haru would always stare at him with...something, a certain look in his eyes. He didn't know what it was, but it comforted him. It made him feel underwater, but he wasn't drowning...? Interlocking eye contact with Haru was strange, but it felt right, and that was all Makoto would chalk it up to for now. When the moon was rising again, they were sitting in the sand again.

 

“Would you like to go to the latern festival with me tomorrow?” Makoto says out loud. Haru nods and Makoto smiles gently. And slowly, Makoto could feel Haru's hand reaching for his, and he could feel the overwhelming coolness a new but somehow familiar touch cast upon him. He could feel something warm and cool at the same time. It made him feel happy.


	4. the little mermaid told the prince

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here we go

the little mermaid told the prince

少し人魚は王子に語った

 

~

 

Makoto wonders how he got to this point, this point of just knowing where Haru is, what he's thinking, what he wants to say but doesn't. The point where it's only been two days but it feels like it's been forever, and how their eyes interlock with such intensity it almost makes Makoto question his entire existence. He meets Haru in the alley of the cafe and firehouse, where Haru is sitting on the doorstep of the back door (wearing a grey t-shirt, black jeans, a blue flannel, and the same tennis shoes as before) and they go together to the festival. They spend the rest of the night together, and it’s so normal at first glance, because the way they work with each other is so natural- Makoto talking aimlessly to fill the space with Haru gazing at him with his blue eyes, anybody could see how the two were so…good for the other. They buy lanterns, sparklers, and set them aflame into the sky with the others, and they watch with interlocked hands, and eyes on the sky. Makoto fills the silent gap of conversation with things he would never confess to anybody on the third day of meeting somebody. But to Haru, silent, blue-eyed Haru, he tells everything. He tells him about his fish when he was a child, the incident that made him nervous about the ocean. He talks about his elementary school and that sort of daily life. He talks about his friends, how stupid and idiotic they are but fun and incredible with such intricate personalities all the same. He talks about his job, a fireman, saving lives, and how he doesn’t know what he wants to do in the future, but he likes saving people, and he talks about how it gives him a good feeling about himself.

 

At some point, when the moon is about in the same position as the night before, Makoto and Haru are sitting on the beach again, staring into each other's eyes. And Makoto feels not like drowning anymore...but he thinks maybe he's underwater, mindless, floating. Because Haru's blue eyes do that to you, and he just wanted to do something, initiate something, but he was only human. And so he didn't do anything but increase the intensity and the connection between blue and green surrounded by light. "Haru..." He whispers, tilting his head. "Did you enjoy the lights tonight?" Haru nods, hand reaching out to hold his, grains of sand shifting through the cracks. Somehow, the moon shines brighter and the two colors intensify even more. There's a spark, there's something behind their eyes, almost hurting their eyes, almost like something was pushing out of their eyes, trying to get out, maybe get to the other colored eye.

 

"I'm in love with you." Haru says slowly, softly, and Makoto blinks, and all of a sudden the connection, whatever they had was broken, and shattered, a broken memory now laying in pieces on the ground. "Did you just speak?" Makoto almost cries in anguish, clutching his hands away, shocked at his own voice and shocked at hearing one come from Haru. "I'm in love with you." Haru says again, almost desperately, almost sensing that he did something wrong, almost reaching out to keep Makoto with him, but Makotos mind was a mess, full of anger, confusion, drowning, curiosity, sadness, melancholy, surprise, drowning. He stumbled to stand up, and on shaky legs, looked down on Haru. "You can talk?? You've been able to talk this entire time, but you haven't?? Why? Why didn't you talk? Why couldn't you speak?? Why did you let me keep talking?? Why didn't you tell me??" Staggering, he took a step back, and collapsed on the sand. There would be sand to clean out the next day, but at the moment, Makoto couldn't think of anything but why, why didn't he say anything. "I'm in love with you." Haru says again, eyes big and wide. Makoto shakes his head, unable to believe anything anymore, because Makoto doesn’t want to feel betrayed but he is, he feels hurt and he can’t understand who Haru, whatever his name might be is anymore, and he has tears dripping out of his eyes, and “I’m sorry.” He says hurriedly, and “tomorrow, the alley.” Because he wants to meet with him, he wants to see Haru again; he just can’t do it right now. So he runs, Makoto runs away from the sand, the ocean, Haru. And the boy with the blue eyes can do nothing but watch him go, muttering, “I’m in love with you, I’m in love with you.” over and over again.


	5. Him

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Oh, the stupid things we do for the moon."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> longer chapter woo
> 
> (also not edited)

“But a mermaid has no tears, and therefore she suffers so much more.” – Hans Christian Andersen

 

~

 

He wonders how he got to this point. He doesn’t want to say that he didn’t really care for the humans up above until one of them came down, but that’s really how it happened. He had always been lonely, being the only frequent merman who lived near the cliffs of Iwatobi. Most of his days were just spent flying through the water, living out his days, repeating the routine. First he would swim towards farther out, then slowly come back around to the cliffs, where he would find mackerel to eat or creatures to kill. It was a very boring, drab little life he had, but it was all he got. He did spend some time studying humans, from afar. He examined how they walked, how they talked, how they breathed, while he could take in both, water and air. It was like school for him, a strange school where he was his own teacher to interpret his own meaning.

 

He knew what fire was. He had seen several on the wooden houses near the beach. The fire hadn’t ever scared him before, because he saw once that the humans had put it out with water. The only time fire had startled him was when he was swimming around in his home around the cliffs. There was an explosion, a shiver that shook down to the very core of the earth. And he felt it, and he surfaced out of the water to see what it was, and it was the fire, but more importantly, it was the thing that had just hit the water a few feet away from him. His blue eyes had widened, and in self defense, he bolted far away, but then he realized nothing was following him.

Slowly, he came back to the now sinking object, seeing nothing but dark clothes billowing up in the water, like an angels robes falling upwards in the air. And it almost felt unreal, because the water had a mind of its own for a minute, and waves pushed the billowing black clothes aside to reveal a human, but not just any human. He could see that it was a boy, who might be the same age as he was, if he was a merman.

Brown hair floated, framing his face, which was titled upwards towards the light coming from the surface. He followed the boy as he sank lower and lower into the dark abyss below the cliffs, though the moonlight still shined upon his face. He didn’t know what to do with him, but he was curious. The boys eyes were still open from the shock of falling, but any light left in the green irises were starting to fade. He didn’t know what had come over him, maybe it was the moon turning blue again and falling out of routine, but he had a sudden thought- he did not want to see those green eyes fade.

He wanted those green eyes to stay green forever, because…. because he just wanted to. And he didn’t really know, nor care if what he was planning to do was illegal according to some unknown human or merman book of rules, but seeing the light fade faster from the green eyes set him into action at last. He cut through the water, moving effortlessly and seamlessly, quickly grabbing the boys arm and pulling up, only succeeding a little bit.

Frustrated, and a little agitated, he looped his arms around the boys underarms and kicked his tail harder, dragging him faster to the surface, to the light. When he finally brought the boy to the surface, he became even more agitated when the boy didn’t start to breathe the air like how the humans did when…they were alive. Desperate, he swallowed any caution about going near the human shore. He sped towards the beach and upon reaching the shallow area, tried his best to drag the human onto the sand. They were in the more empty area of the beach, fairly far from the main boardwalk.

After pulling the human up and thumping his back and seeing the boy start to cough and spit out water, the action made him retreat back a little bit, still cautious around the human. The boys eyes which previously had closed during the swim, were slowly, just barely open, and he could see a vibrant green in them once again. He didn’t smile, but he felt a softness for the boy in front of him, and after a moment, scooted up closer to his face. He nearly laid over the boy, as somehow his green eyes flickered up to his, and his hand weakly came up, almost on its own, and gently cupped his face. He froze, because nothing, nobody, had touched him in a way like this for the longest time. The gently caress felt his face, barely stroked through his hair, and lightly grazed over his lips. Then shouts were heard, and he knew his time with this boy was up. Rushing back into the water, he quickly and silently swam away, and he saw the boys eyes close as two policemen, who sounded worried, came up to the boy and checked to see if he was alive, yelling “he’s breathing!” and “tell the others!”.

 

~

 

He watched all of this happen from a rock, fairly distanced from the shore. And at that point he didn’t know how, or why, but he knew what he wanted. He rested a full day before the journey, then set off at the next midnight. He swam farther than he usually went, farther and deeper out into the ocean, where the more prominent mer-population resided. Sometime around sunrise, he came to the surface and looked behind him.

The small town of Iwatobi was barely visible, even with his merman vision, and he knew he was close to his destination. When the moon was high up in the sky again, after hours and hours of swimming, he dove deep into an almost hidden underwater cave, where the further he went, the more the dark tunnel was illuminated with glowing underwater gems. He finally came into a large cavern, with a high vaulted ceiling, where gems glittered like the night sky stars, and it all looked very beautiful, it really did, but he had already been here before. He already knew that there was more to this place than met the eye, both human and merman.

‘Come out and help me, I’m in a hurry.’ he spoke in the native oceanic language, only to be responded with quiet ripples.

‘What’s the rush? We should have a snack before attending to business.’ A silky voice in strange tongue resonated throughout the room, seemingly coming from nowhere.

‘I need this as soon as I can. Or else I’ll lose myself waiting.’ He scowled. He didn’t like playing games. ‘Oh alright. I can see you’ve already traveled fast for this. What exactly do you want from me?’ A shadow shifted on the wall and moved to the ceiling.

He stayed in the middle, still and stone-like. ‘Turn me into a human.’ He said. The shadow flickered and the gems sputtered. ‘Why would you want to lower yourself to a level of utter incompetence?’ The voice spitted passionately. ‘Because someone up there has convinced me to change my mind.’

The shadow melted throughout the darkness of the room, circling him, seizing him up, wondering aloud ‘who could’ve done something so extreme to the merman, who could’ve made him think differently? What a human, you must’ve fallen so hard for? Isn’t it funny?’

He could hear its mocking smile through its voice. ‘Isn’t it funny to fall for someone as if you were an angel falling to your death because of the gravity of Earth pulling you down from heaven, but you’re a merman, pulled to the surface at the thought of a human!!’ The voice cackled maniacally, and he still remained emotionless. The voice stopped laughing.

‘I find it difficult to believe you’ve fallen for something- you’re so void of any feelings except for the light of the moon, and don’t humans thrive on the energy of the sun?’ The shadow shrugged, and swirled around again. ‘Then again, you’ve always managed to make things go tipsy curvy.’ He clenched his fists.

Precious time was passing, and he was finished with playing. ‘Will you help me or not?’ The shadow nodded mournfully, contrary to its playful attitude only seconds ago. ‘In the ceiling, the green gem will make you a human, and stay human for the next three half moons. But you know the transformation will hurt more than anything in this world, for you know we are not supposed to change ourselves. It will feel like your tail is forcibly cut in half and a painful stretch will linger while you are human. Even worse, when you are human, and you are walking, it will feel like teeth are eating your legs to the bone- and there will be scars left over, in both human and merman form. You do realize the consequences for this?’

He nodded. “I do.’ The shadow tsked. ‘Oh, the stupid things we do for the moon. Nonetheless, I will help you. There’s a ship passing by us right now. Touch the gem, then be prepared to swim for the surface faster and harder than you ever have in your life.’ He was already swimming towards the ceiling, hand outstretched. ‘I know.’ He said finally, before fingers grasped around the bright green gem, and suddenly there was light, and there was pain, and he could feel the green gem seeping into his arms, his body, his tail, and then it hurt.

His tail was being ripped apart, and he screamed, because the tiniest hints of blood started to seep out of his new legs as he moved them. Every kick to the surface hurt, and he could feel the human life-source, blood, newly seeping out from expanding cuts and slashes. He had no air underwater. But despite the pain, the light-headiness, and the exhaustion, he thought of green eyes and the way the moonlight look so nice upon them, and it was a very comforting thought, one that made him grit his teeth and kick harder and faster, past all the glittering gems, past the darkness of the water, and into the sunlight above.

 

He had burst out from the surface, coughing and wheezing, finally appreciating air for the first time, and he heard someone shout in the human language he still couldn’t really understand, and he was dragged up into a boat, and given a blanket to cover his naked body and the bloody cuts on his bare legs. Exhausted, he looked up at the elderly couple who had saved him.

They spoke to him, but he was confused. He could make out words like ‘you’ and ‘he’ but that was it. He tried to make himself look more confused and helpless, and the elderly woman softened her eyes in sympathy. “Lets take him home.” He heard her say, and he knew what home meant. And by the time the boat had made it back to Iwatobi, he had been given clothes, taught how to make bag food, and taught how to speak a little bit of the human language. The elderly couple had noticed how when he walked, the cuts on his legs would start to bleed, so they gave him bandages, and he wrapped the cuts up and prayed for the best. He was trying his best to adapt to human life, and for what reason he didn’t really know.

He hadn’t seen the boy in a while, and he was almost scared to fully think about him, because he felt like if he did, then the perfect picture he had painted might be torn apart by doubts and negativity. So he spent his newly-directed days into learning how to be human, so maybe, he could spend more time with the boy, see those green eyes again, and perhaps learn why he did all this for the boy.

He didn’t know how to categorize the boy. He had never felt anything except the light of the moon, but suddenly he had now felt yearning and want for green eyes whenever he thought about him, and it made him wonder, made him question his entire existence when there was that green-eye boy haunting him. It had only been a day since he had started to “work” in the elderly couples new café, when it happened too quickly for him to comprehend.

He was behind the counter, and he noticed a boy outside, in warm-colored clothes and green eyes, and he felt an electric shock, because it was him. That was the green eye boy he had saved, he had felt for, he had turned human for. He was right outside, and then he was inside, only a foot away from him. He wondered if any emotion showed on his face, and he hoped not, but he couldn’t be sure.

The boy smiled at him, and told him the order and said something like “hungry, hungry firemen”? Humans were silly sometimes, he thought to himself as he bagged the food for the boy. He wondered if the boy would ever come back, and by the time the boy had left the café, he realized what had just happened, and he slid down the wall, eyes wide at the ground, feelings, he was sure of it, swirling in this stomach.

What was he supposed to do now? Why didn’t he try to do anything? Why did he let the opportunity go to waste? These thoughts circled in his head and stayed with him until later that night when he was leaving and suddenly the boy called out and he turned to see the boy running up to him. He speaks so quickly, he barely has time to comprehend what he’s saying so he can only nod and pretend he understands what the boy is saying.

“Oh! My name is Tachibana Makoto. It’s nice to meet you.” The boy waits, for him? Oh, he must expect a name. He doesn’t have one. He scolds himself in his mind. How could he hope to gain anything from this without having a name for….Makoto to call him by. And now he was talking about pet fish? He had an idea now.

He motioned for Makoto to follow him, and pleased when he did, he took them both to the beach. He sat down on the sand, and when Makoto does the same, he only looks at him when he asks “are you mute?” because he doesn’t know what mute is. Instead, he starts to draw a fish in the sand. “Is that a fish?” Makoto asks, and he nods. He hesitates for a split second, and then draws what he hopes the “one” symbol is. “First fish?” He nods, and points at Makoto. Then he draws the hands of Makoto dropping something into his hands. “Give?” He nods and points at himself. “Give you the name of the first fish I had?” He nods, relieved and proud and surprised that Makoto could understand what he meant. “Haru.” Makoto says. “Haru.” He likes that name, he decides. Makoto and Haru. He likes the way that sounds.

 

~

 

“I…lu….lo…love. I’mm…in lu…lo…luve. I’m i-in lo…” He sighs and shuffles around in the bloody water. The place that the elderly couple let him stay in is nice, small, but is not his home. His home is in the water, but he knows he can’t go back until three half-moons have passed and so the next best thing is this place called a “bathtub” and he spends as much time in the water as he can, relishing in the water, despite his cuts opening up and the blood leaking out. He was practicing how to say the right thing, trying to practice how to tell Makoto. It was hard. He had never spoken this language before, and he had only learned by listening to other people’s conversations. Makoto talked a lot when they were together though.

It had only been two days since Makoto first talked to him and gave him a name, but already it had felt so right to be with him. And along the way, he had figured out that being “mute” meant not able to speak, and he didn’t want Makoto to think he was mute. But he didn’t want to say something irrelevant. He wanted to learn something worth Makotos time. He wanted the first thing he said to Makoto to be meaningful, and though it frustrated him to learn such a difficult phrase with no help, he did it because…he was getting too sentimental about the human. So that was why, he kept telling himself, that was why he kept practicing, to tell Makoto soon, how he felt, and to maybe make him proud that he learned how to speak. He took a deep breath and tried again.

 

~

 

“I’m in love with you.” When he said it, his own voice immediately made himself cringe. He didn’t like his voice when it wasn’t underwater, but he hoped the phrase would please Makoto anyways, despite the obvious slowness of his speaking and the shakiness seeping through the words. But he never expected Makoto, warm-green-eyed Makoto, to act like this. Makoto was yelling at him. His green eyes were tearful and he, Haru, or whatever his name was, or who ever he really was, got scared. So he kept repeating it, desperate for Makoto to stay. No please don’t go away, I feel this unexplainable want, need to be near you, please don’t go. “I’m in love with you.” He said louder, but Makoto muttered something about their usual meeting place, and ran away, clearly crying and distraught.

 

Haru felt like crying. “I’m in love with you, I’m in love with you.” He kept repeating, slowly, sadly, knowing. He lost his green eyes. Crumpling to the sand, he gasped, feeling down and low, lower than any dark cavern in the sea. He hiccupped and his eyes hurt, because this emotion of utter devastation made tears want to come out of his eyes- but mermaids and mermen didn’t cry. They couldn’t. Because of this, his eyes burned and he clawed at his chest, nearly ripping his shirt, trying to push this feeling of terribleness and melancholy out of his body, out of him. Why did Makoto act the way he did? Didn’t they…love each other? Why didn’t he appreciate how much work he had put in to practice that specific phrase? And the more Haru thought about it, the more he doubted everything he had done for the human. He would have to return to the ocean at some point. Makoto probably would call the police if he discovered mermaids, and then he would be carried off from the sea, carrying within himself the despair of such a betrayal from someone like…Makoto. Makoto would never do that. Would he?

 

It didn’t matter at the moment, because his eyes were burning and his chest hurt, and he wanted to cry and just let his emotion flow out of him, but it wasn’t possible. Haru was suffering and it just hurt so bad, his legs felt like they were bleeding again and his head was overwhelmed with something desperate and somebody came up to him at one point and slowly asked if he was ok. He shook his head and shakily stood up, even though his legs buckled and he barely had any balance. Either way, he ran.

 

Ran along the beach, far away from the lantern festival, from the awful human world, from the sacrifices he made, and green eyes, burning green eyes.


	6. the little mermaid left the prince

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> moonlight equals opportunity and revelations which in turn make it more than the controller of tides and time. moonlight is more like the control point that makes us think outside of everything we know.

the little mermaid left the prince

少し人魚は王子を残した

 

~

 

The next day, Makoto waited in the alley, with ways to apologize in his mind, looking up again and again to see if Haru would come, but for an hour Makoto was alone, and it made him sad. He didn’t mean to explode like he did, and he didn’t mean to run away but Haru might have well as slapped him in the face-no.

“No.” Makoto said aloud, brokenly. “I overreacted. I’m the one at fault here. There must’ve been a reason, an explanation. I must’ve triggered something and he must’ve been compelled to say something…” He trailed off. Looking up to the end of the alley again, he saw somebody walk by again, but it wasn’t Haru. He sighed and looked at his watch. He’d stay there until Haru arrived, he figured.

 

The back door in the alley opened and Makoto looked up so quickly, his headphones fell out of his ears but he was sorely disappointed when it was only an elderly old lady and man.

“Oh? Are you waiting for somebody to come out of the café?” The lady asked and Makoto smiled sheepishly and nodded. It was late already, and the sky was a dark blue and it was at that moment when Makoto realized he wasted the entire day waiting for Haru, but he never came.

Makoto could feel his body sag with disappointment and regret, and slowly he stood up from the staircase he was sitting on, and smiled in farewell to the couple. But as he turned and walked away, his smile dropped, and he could feel the sadness creep into his eyes, because he was so sure. He was sure that Haru would show up, because the past three days proved that the both of them just knew where the other was- but Haru didn’t show up and Makoto just didn’t know how to take any of this in.

“Young man, were you waiting for the girl who works here?” Makoto stopped short and turned around. “Oh, no. I’m not looking for her, but thank you.” He smiled, but he saw the lady frown.

“Then are you looking for the boy who works here?” Makotos blood ran cold, and he looked down, and he was sure the sadness was shining in his eyes. “I-uh, yes. I was waiting for him but-“ “He never came into work today. If you need to see him, I can give you his address.”

Makoto looked incredulously at the lady. “What? You would…give me his address? But…you don’t even know who I am!” The old woman looked at him pointedly. “You’re not going to kill him are you?” Makoto flushed. “No! I’m not- I just- wanted to see him. He’s a friend of mine and…” The lady chuckled. “I’ve noticed. Here.”

She pulled out a piece of paper, and wrote something down, then handed it to Makoto. “Go check on him, will you?” Makoto smiled, amazed at the woman, who linked arms with the man and walked out of the alley. Makoto almost wondered what he and Haru would look like when they were old. Then he figured you couldn’t grow old with someone if you didn’t even know it they were all right.

 

The address took him to a small apartment complex, in the more traditional areas near the beach. He found the apartment door easily and knocked, but there was no reply. “Haru?” Makoto called out.

There was no reply, and he jiggled the doorknob, only to be surprised that it was unlocked.

‘That’s dangerous, anybody could’ve came in!’ He pushed the door open, and entered the apartment, closing the door behind him. At first the whole room was dark, then Makoto turned on the light switch.

It was small and bare, with little furniture and no decorations. Makoto didn’t see any pictures anywhere.

“Haru? Are you here?” He opened a side door and looked inside an empty bedroom. “Haru, I’m sorry about what I said last night.”

He poked his head into the tiny, seemingly unused kitchen. “It’s just the fact that you actually spoke to me for the first time since we met…I overreacted. And I’m incredibly sorry. All I want is for us to be friends again, and to put it lightly, forget this ever happened.”

He opened the door to the bathroom. It looked normal and clean, and there was a window near the ceiling that had moonlight streaming in through it. Makoto sighed, and knew Haru wasn’t there.

“I want to forget this every happened,” Makoto murmured in the darkness, speaking for nobody but himself and the moon. “Because the only memories I want to have with you are the good ones. The ones where we’re happy.”

 

Makoto looked up to the window again, to the moonlight, and prayed.

 

“The ones where we’re alright and it’s possible for us to grow old together.”


	7. the little mermaid missed the prince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> human emotions are difficult- to accept and to write down.

the little mermaid missed the prince

少し人魚は王子を逃した

 

~

 

It was one of those days that were absolutely perfect.

 

The sun was out, and it was warm, with a light cool breeze to calm the mood. The streets weren’t overflowing with people, but the sidewalks were comfortably crowded like usual. The two of them were sitting outside, at a picnic-like bench, outside of a yogurt shop. The yogurt was a comfortable freezing treat blended in with the warm day. It was just around afternoon. It was in the morning, when Makoto had been in his house when Rin showed up at the front door, telling him that he had the day off and they should go hang out. After walking around aimlessly and silently, Rin took the both of them to the yogurt shop. He paid for his red velvet and Makotos green tea, and as soon as they sat outside, his red velvet was gone. But then he looked over and Makoto hadn’t even touched it.

 

Rin frowned. “You haven’t smiled.” Makotos eyes shot up. “What? I have!”

 

“No you haven’t. Thank god Sousuke had to work today or who knows what he would’ve done to make you smile.” Makoto stopped glaring and let out a sigh. It was true, he realized. Makoto always smiled around other people, but he was hurting and was too tired to be pleasant today. “What’s wrong?” Rin asked. “Don’t say nothing, because clearly you’re not yourself.” Makoto didn’t say anything. He didn’t know what to tell his friend.

 

He could say, I’m in love with a guy that I met four days ago and I yelled at him because I thought he was mute, but it turns out he actually can speak, and I think he got scared and I can’t find him anywhere. And I don’t know if he’s okay but I really want him to be. Makoto thought it sounded crazy. But it was the truth, and Rin hated being lied to. He could trust Rin not to make a scene, right?

 

Wrong. As soon as Makoto finished telling Rin everything, maroon eyes met his and lips formed a scowl. “Don’t screw me around Makoto. How can you fall in love with someone you’ve only known for four days?”

 

Makoto shrugged and gazed at his melting ice cream. “He’s different. His eyes are blue and he has literally…changed…me.” Rin didn’t say anything. “I don’t expect you to be happy with the idea of me and somebody you’ve never even met.” Makoto continues. His voice sounds bleak, and Rin notices that Makoto is acting like he already told him straight-out no. Sighing, he relaxed against the bench and Makoto looked at him. “There is no law against who you fall in love with.” Rin muttered. “I can’t arrest you or anything.” Makoto smiled in a grateful way. Rin would support him. That made him want to smile, because it felt nice to know that someone would stay with you.

 

He dropped the smile when the thought of Haru crossed his mind again. Would Haru stay with him if they met each other again? He wanted to be with Haru but there were just so many things that were strange…

 

“Blue eyes huh?”

 

“Yeah, he has blue eyes.”

 

Rin looked thoughtful. “Hey, come with me to the station. You might recognize somebody…” Makoto looked at him with wide eyes. “Seriously?” He stammered and Rin nodded, getting up and throwing his cup away. “He wasn’t arrested or anything, he was just hanging around the building and so we just let him in. I don’t know if he’s still there, but Sousuke is watching over him.” Makoto’s mouth hung open as he followed Rin. “Thank you.” He finally managed to say. “For telling me this.” Rin looked back at him out of the corner of his eyes. “No problem. He looked a little lost like you too.”

 

Makoto thought that over. Haru was just as lost as him? Now he felt even more regret. He and Rin walked to the police station as quick as they could, silence empowering the two. They finally reached the station, and as soon as they walked inside, they found Sousuke, who was standing by the counter with a figure with a dark blue hood up over their head-

 

“Haru!” Makoto cried, eyes widening in growing excitement and desperation. Sousuke looked at Makoto and Rin, shocked that they were there, but Makoto was okay, he didn’t really care because Haru was right-

 

“Huh? Haru?” The figure turned around and Makoto sucked in a deep breath. It was a boy, but he didn’t look anything like Haru. He was completely different. “Sorry.” The boy laughed nervously. “I don’t think I’m the person you’re looking for. My name is Ai-“

 

“Had there been anybody else? Anybody else who you let in?” Makoto whirled around, turning to Sousuke. Breathing heavily, he latched his shaking hands onto Sousukes uniform, getting up close into his face. “Please! Tell me, has there been anyone else?!” Rin and everyone else looked like they were at a loss- nobody had really ever acted out of limbo the way Makoto was right now.

 

“Makoto.” Sousuke finally managed to stammer out, gripping Makotos shaking hand. “Calm down. There was one guy earlier. Deep blue eyes? Black hair? He was outside the police building, muttering something like ‘love’ over and over again. Does that-“

 

Makoto did not respond. He collapsed onto the ground, panting, almost crying because that was Haru, it had to be, there was no question about it.

 

Sousuke knelt down next to him, and looked at him in the eyes. “He kept saying ‘love’ and something that sounded like your name. I think he was looking for you outside the police building. We invited him inside and let him go when he ran off.” Haru missed him? Makoto choked back a sob. Why was he so emotional? Why…did he need Haru this much? Haru loved him right? Did he love Haru back?

 

Makoto didn’t know. He was just as confused as everybody else at the station.


	8. the little mermaid tried to forget the prince

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> still working on the finale so this is short, sorry

 the little mermaid tried to forget the prince

少し人魚は王子を忘れてみました

 

~

 

Makoto walked aimlessly along the boardwalk, which he had never done before, and saw lots of things he had never noticed before. Maybe it wasn’t just him who was stuck in limbo, but everybody in Iwatobi. The same stupid shops closed at the same time, and the same stupid people went to their designated one each day, and nobody was different, nobody had lived the high of experience and it made Makoto frustrated and tearful.

 

He knew he was acting like a child, but there was nothing else he could revert back to, because how was he supposed to know that limbo had taken him from his very beginning, swallowed him, and kept him in the dark until Haru, this new light guided him out.

 

It turned out that the blue-eyed, black haired boy at the station was not Haru. It was some other minor criminal and he hadn’t been muttering “Makoto” under his breath, he had been muttering something else, “sako” or something, he didn’t really know or care. He was out of limbo at this point. Logic and routine didn’t matter anymore.

 

At one point the light was right in his hands. Then he took water and extinguished it and caused his own darkness to surround him again.

 

Makoto widened his eyes and then squeezed them tightly shut. He sounded so poetic. Maybe it was because he was depressed. Makoto didn’t know anymore. But the sunset was beautiful and he couldn’t help but stare longingly into the never ending shades of orange and red, silently wishing sunsets were the color of Haru’s eyes.

 

But that was weird. He couldn’t think this much about Haru…his head felt like it would burst in desperation and sorrow if he kept thinking about him for much longer.

 

And then his eyes fell on a figure, so familiar, and like home.

 

It was like a dream. It couldm’t be. But yet…

 

Makoto said his name loud and clear, and he turned, and it was, it really him, his Haru. “Haru!” He cried again, starting towards him, tears of happiness already in his eyes, and started towards him, but then Haru started to back away. And Makoto kept repeating his name and it was like a repeating chant he couldn’t get out of his head. Then Haru started to run, and Makoto knew, he wouldn’t let Haru go.

 

Not again. He wouldn’t run from him. He would run and he would catch up to him and he would explain everything, and Makoto could only hope that Haru would listen.

 

And so as Haru ran, Makoto ran after him, calling his name, each time getting more desperate and choked with tears as the distance between him and Haru seemed to grow as large as the ocean they ran along.


	9. Him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> working on the finale, and it might take a while...

“Never had she danced so beautifully; the sharp knives cut her feet, but she did not feel it, for the pain in her heart was far greater.” – Hans Christian Andersen

 

~

 

He didn’t return to the home the elderly couple had given him. He fell asleep on the beach, with the waves nearly crashing and covering him like a blanket and it felt like home.

But his legs were still in pain and his eyes still burned.

He was looking for a way to stop the pain, just to make everything stop. So he slept, and when refused to wake up when the sun beat down brutally on his back and arms. He refused to open his eyes when some kids kicked sand on him curiously. He didn’t move when couples walked by him like boys sleeping on the beach with blood stained pants were normal. But he shifted when the water bit at his feet and opened his tired eyes when the moon called on him. He was tired and he realized now, what he did and how it wasn’t worth it.

Makoto must’ve been a mistake. Everything must’ve been a mistake. And now all he wanted to do was go back into the ocean, to resume life as before because humans were dumb and he should’ve never saved Makoto because then he wouldn’t have done this!

He wouldn’t have severed his tail and lost as much blood as he had if it hadn’t been for Makoto! He wasn’t in love with him, he should hate him!

But he knew that wasn’t the case. Regardless, the moon told him that the three half moons would be shortened and so he could return to the sea if he only lasted for two more days. He thanked the moon and silently thanked anybody who would listen that he was a favorite of the moon, who was willing to change things for him. When his conversation with the moon was over, and the sun was rising, he stayed at the beach. There was nothing left for him to go back to in the town. He would stay on the beach until two days passed.

 

Thoughts of Makoto would always fill his mind and a lot of times, he would double over in pain because his stomach felt empty and his mind was light-headed. He was thirsty and hungry, and the sun moved so slowly, and it hurt him physically and mentally with every passing second.

Eventually after a day passed and the moon scolded him and told him to go eat, he got up, moving purely on the moons command. He stumbled to the elderly couples café, and opening the door, he walked inside and staggered into the lit kitchen. The elderly woman was still there, and looked shocked that he hadn’t just been a realistic dream. But she couldn’t stay shocked forever, because he gasped and collapsed onto the floor and she screamed. Later though, he learned the old lady had gotten a hold of herself and gave him food, drink, and medicine.

After spending the rest of the night and most of the day in the company of the old woman, he got up eventually, and tried to tell her thank you. But the old lady smiled gently and shook her head. “You don’t have to talk for me. You should only have to talk for him.” His eyes widened, and the elderly woman sent him off as the sun started to set. He still stumbled as he walked back to the beach, but as he looked back and saw the woman waving, he wondered how she acted like she already knew he would never come back again.

Humans were silly sometimes, but maybe they were wiser than he gave them credit for.

It really didn’t matter much to him anyways. The sun was setting and though he always preferred watching the sunset on a rock in the sea or underwater, it was quite the experience to see it on land. It shouldn’t have been that different, but he felt different.

At this point, he didn’t really take what he felt into consideration anymore. Makoto was merely an idea to him now, an old memory from what seemed like long ago, but still managed to hurt. Sometimes, while he was walking, his subconscious would create a Makoto of its own, and for a short blissful while, a chattering mirage of Makoto would walk beside him, along the boardwalk, with the sun setting on the horizon.

Though he didn’t want to admit it, his heart and head ached in pain when the mirage ended, and he was alone again. He finally made it to the end of the boardwalk, where he stopped for a moment to rest. His legs still throbbed and his head and his heart hurt. How could he ever return to normal after this? Would there be scars left on his tail once he was back in the ocean? He would be able to adjust back to eating raw fish right? And he could still find ways to kill mean creatures, couldn’t he? Maybe once he got back settled in, and the loneliness really got to him, maybe then he would go visit the dark caves at the bottom of the sea again-

 

“Haru?”

 

He froze. A sudden rush of memories, and suddenly there was a heat rapidly increasing temperature in his head and his chest. No. It couldn’t be-

 

“Haru!” He didn’t want to, but he turned around on instinct, and he saw him, the cause of his pain, everything that powered him other than the light of the moon and it was Makoto, with a look of despair scrawled all over his features and tears in his eyes. He stood there, eyes wide because Makoto seemed to cry in his presence because of him. “Haru…” Makoto whispered, but he could hear it. And he couldn’t take it. He was already so close, so close to the ocean and his time and his sacrifice was almost up, and he couldn’t take Makoto anymore.

 

He couldn’t. And so he ran.

 

He ran away from Makoto, but he heard him scream “HARU!” again and looking back, he saw that he was being followed. This wasn’t good. Couldn’t Makoto understand, wasn’t he the first one who rejected him in the first place? And Haru wasn’t even his name- Makoto really knew nothing about him, and so how could love even happen in a one-sided relationship like that? He was tired, and he was so close and his sacrifice was up.

He stopped running when he left the small town of Iwatobi behind, and rested for a moment far along the beach, away from humans. Except for Makoto, he could still hear him running after him. But the moon was high up in the sky, and already he could feel the ocean, the water, the blue and green, calling to him, and his blood started pumping wildly and he couldn’t stay on land any longer.

 

He was so close.

 

He tore the shirt off and stumbled into the crashing waves and immediately threw his head back and let out an agonizing scream. The feeling of the limbs he had just gotten used to being forcibly connected together was painful and the burning buildup of tears and electric jolts made his head pound and it hurt.

 

“HARU!!” Why was… _why was Makoto still there? Leave, go. Don’t stay to watch this. You don’t deserve to watch this. This terrifying show should’ve been seen by nobody._ His head was still titled up and his throat stretched and burned painfully. His legs were still reattaching together and at some point, he couldn’t even stand and he collapsed to the ground. “HARU!!”

 

_Makoto, leave please…_

 

A hand grasped onto his clenched fist and held him grounded as the pain increased and in horror, both he and Makoto watched his skin became a writhing bloody mess of bones and blue scales. It was a slow process and it hurt and his face twisted into agonized shrieks and screams and Makoto was still there, gripping tightly onto his hand as he watched with wide eyes, fresh tears still falling.

 

The waves crashed upon them and his screams were the only sounds in the silent night. Even the moon turned away because the sight was too saddening to see. But even though he barely noticed, Makoto never left his side. The pressure on his hand never relented and Makoto stayed silent throughout all his screams, and almost cradled him in arms that felt safe, that felt like a familiar yet different type of home.

 

But he still screamed and the pain became too much for him to handle and with a final whimper and a soft whisper from Makoto, he closed his eyes.

 


	10. the prince refused to let him go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was morning and he finally opened his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you moon.

 

the prince refused to let him go

王子は彼を手放すことを拒否

 

~

 

“Haru.”

 

It was morning and he finally opened his eyes.

 

“Haru.”

 

The sun was rising and the moon was just leaving. Haru weakly held out his hand for no reason, and then Makoto grabbed it, and hugged him even tighter.

 

He shook, because he remembered Makoto was right there. Makoto.

 

Why was Makoto hugging him? Where were they?

 

And then he remembered, and his gaze traveled down to his brilliant blue tail, and he went cold, despite Makoto’s warmth wrapped around him.

 

He had changed. He felt weak. He needed water, and started gasping roughly, trying to wriggle out of Makotos hold, because mermaids die without water.

 

“Haru!” Makoto gasped at Haru’s sudden movement, instinctively loosening his hold, allowing Haru to drag himself slowly towards the water.

 

The sunrise was ugly. The moon was much more beautiful and Haru didn’t like the way the sun burned his eyes made his skin hot. He just wanted to go home. Then Makoto quickly rushed over and stopped in front of Haru, creating a shadow over him and ultimately preventing him from moving deeper into the water.

 

Makoto had a lot of laundry full of sand and seawater to complete when he got back home. But he didn’t care if his pants were wet and sand was probably in his butt. He stood in front of Haru, breathing heavily, and stared into deep blue watery eyes.

 

Haru stared back at him. His head was pounding and his hair was messed up and everything in his body hurt and he just wanted to sleep underwater forever. Why was Makoto still here?

 

Saying nothing, Makoto kneeled down and very very gently sneaked his arms under Haru’s shaking body. And staying silent, he turned towards the ocean and carried Haru deeper and deeper in the sea.

 

Haru gave up on resisting, simply because the first touch of seawater he had not felt in a long time was absolute heaven to his skin and sighing in content, he unconsciously relaxed and got rid of some tension in Makotos arms.

 

Then Makoto stopped and Haru opened his eyes wearily. Why did he stop?

 

He made eye contact with Makotos green orbs, who was smiling gently at him. Haru tilted his head to the side. Why did Makoto stop? Why was he smiling?

 

“I can’t go any farther.” Haru was confused. What did Makoto mean by that?

 

Makoto laughed a little at Haru’s confusion. “I’m not tall enough to go any deeper.” And then he watched Haru with interest, as he finally realized they were both almost submerged in water, their heads barely over the surface.

 

They weren’t far enough from the shore that Makoto couldn’t stand with Haru in his arms, but then Haru realized that Makoto was human and couldn’t breathe underwater. His eyes opened and some sort of fear or guilt instantly filled his veins, and slowly, still painfully, Haru pushes himself off Makoto and sinks down until he’s completely submerged.

 

Makoto gasps and without thinking, dunks his head underwater, then struggles with opening his eyes, his cheeks puffed out like a blowfish, and Haru giggles a little bit.

 

He can give Makoto his share of gentle too. Very carefully, Haru reaches out with his hands and puts them gently on Makoto’s broad shoulders. Makoto immediately relaxes, loosing tension and slowly, he breaks the surface for air again, and pants heavily above water. Haru hesitates, but goes up as well, squinting in the bright light of the sun. And of course, Makoto notices, and moves in front of Haru, so that they’re tightly pressed together, but not an inch of heat hits Haru’s skin.

 

His eyes are wide. He feels so familiar, so safe.

 

“Haru.” Makoto mumbled. He looked up and Makoto only hugged him tighter. “Haru, haru, haru…” He chanted over and over again, and then tears started to come out of his eyes and Haru wondered why he was crying.

 

“Haru, I don’t care.” Makoto said suddenly, and Haru looked at him with even more confusion.

 

“I don’t care that you’re a merman and you can’t really speak, I don’t care!” Makoto begun hugging Haru tighter with each word. “I like you Haru! I like your eyes and your hair and your skin and I like your voice and I like your actions! I like you so much Haru, that all I want to do is grow old with you!”

 

Haru widened his eyes and continued to stare at Makoto during his rant.

 

“I don’t want you to leave me alone on land, in limbo! I want you to stay with me and I don’t know when, I don’t know how, but I know something’s starting right now, a-and…”

 

Makoto trails off hopelessly as he realizes he just quoted The Little Mermaid, and Haru just looks really confused.

 

Maybe actions really spoke louder than words.

 

He relaxed and forced himself to get rid of all his tension. And then very slowly, Makoto leaned in closer and closer to Haru and yet he was hesitant. Haru was silent and still, watching Makotos every move, and with wide eyes, gazed into Makoto’s heavy lidded ones, lips very very close to each other.

 

Haru could feel Makotos breath against his own and the way Makoto continued to slowly dip down, almost asking Haru for permission, was gentler than anything Haru had ever known.

 

Large calloused hands caressed his back shoulder blades and the nape of his neck, travelling and tilting his neck up to meet Makoto’s lips.

 

Haru didn’t know what was happening. Makoto had been speaking so fast, with a fire he didn’t realize he had. But now Makoto has given up on speaking and Haru didn’t know what he was doing but he liked the gentle touches and bare skin-on-skin contact much more.

 

Slowly, sweetly, Makoto captured Haru’s lips with his own.

 

Makoto instinctively swiped his tongue across Haru’s and Haru gasped, breaking away from the kiss for only a moment before Makoto cradled the back of his head and brought him close again.

 

He tasted sweet and salty, like roses and the ocean all at once. The mere thrill that Makoto received when kissing Haru was more than just an invitation to keep going. Makoto was ashamed to think that he wasn’t getting enough, grabbing at poor Haru, who seemed too stunned to respond or do anything.

 

Yet Makoto couldn’t bring himself to stop. He was relentless, diving in over and over, gasping for air and for more at the same time.

 

And then, slower and regretfully, Makoto pulled away. Panting heavily, his eyes filled with tears.

 

Overwhelmed. Overstimulation. A tsunami of emotions hitting him all at once.

 

His head was pounding, but in the best way possible and with the tears falling faster now, Makoto mumbled “I’m sorry.”

 

Yet Haru reached and grabbed onto Makoto’s neck. He whimpered and Makoto opened his eyes blearily to see Haru, panting with water dripping down his bangs and eyes dilated and mouth blown and swollen.

 

Haru gazed up at him with heavily lidded eyelids and hung loosely on Makotos frame although they both shook with fine tremors, like they were about to melt into the water, almost into each other.

 

Then, gently, slowly, Haru tilted his head to slide his lips into Makoto’s again.

 

And they continued to kiss over and over again, Makoto sheltering Haru from the sun, and Haru learning a human’s way to say “I love you”.

 

At some point, Makoto began to cry even harder, because these actions were just so much more effective than words and they continued to kiss for a very long time.

 

~

 

“This is Haru.”

 

Nagisa and Rei cooed. “He’s adorable!” Nagisa exclaimed, jumping around the stoic boy.

 

“Wow, your body is so- muscular yet lean! Amazing, what type of athleticism do you perform?“ Rei cut himself off, glancing over at Nagisa (still cooing over Haru) and laughed sheepishly. “Science thing…” He mumbled and Makoto laughed (because he knew Rei didn’t mean anything).

 

Sousuke said nothing. He got a weird salty vibe from the guy, but because Makoto clearly liked it – he wasn’t going to say anything. For now.

 

Rin’s jaw had dropped a while ago, and Makoto wondered if he would have to close it for him.

 

“You’re the guy he fell in love with in three days?”

 

Haru nodded. Makoto smiled. It had only been a few weeks since Haru and him had kissed, then somehow fallen asleep on the beach.

 

Makoto had woken up at night to Harus dry sobbing, freaking out when he saw a bloody remaining mess on his two legs, in replacement of the blue tail.

 

Haru had barely been conscious, but he looked up at the moon the whole time Makoto carried him to his home. Makoto had asked him if he was alright. Haru had kissed him.

 

They had been alright since then. Haru had fallen asleep in Makoto’s bed, and the “cuddling” as Haru learned it, became routine night after night. The following mornings would have Haru following Makoto around, blue eyes following his every move. Makoto would make breakfast – Haru would watch. Makoto would go shopping and do housework and Haru would follow.

 

It had become routine. But this was different from the limbo Makoto had known. He didn’t mind this routine. Spending every day with Haru was like learning how to live all over again. Teaching him how to be human was like teaching a growing child. It wasn’t bad. It was good.

 

Makoto went back to work at some point. Haru had learned what a fireman really requires and was very worried for a short period of time until Makoto came home and gave him little kisses all over his face to convince him that he would be alright.

 

“We’ve got to be together to grow old together, right?” Makoto asked and Haru nodded with a determinate look in his eyes.

 

And with thinking of nothing else, Haru and Makoto just lived. Lived in the moment. Not necessarily in limbo, or on repeat. Because Haru was a breath of fresh air that Makoto craved and what they had at the moment was something that neither had really had before. It was satisfying. It was contentment in its simple glory.

 

When Makoto figured Haru was ready to meet his friends, he was finally able to alleviate his friends constant pestering about his sudden mysterious boyfriend, the one who had changed him so much. They planned to meet for lunch and Makoto knew Haru was nervous, but he hoped he wasn’t.

 

At the last moment, Makoto figured he could live without friends if they didn’t like Haru. But Makoto was sure that it wouldn’t come to anything like that.

 

Rin took in a deep breath. Then he bowed, and stuck out his hand. “Rin. Nice to meet you.”

 

Haru bowed as well, and took his hand, shaking it like Makoto had taught him. “Nice to meet you.” He said very softly, so they wouldn’t hear his stutter.

 

The two shook hands. And they all sat down to eat. And Makoto was so happy to see that he was right. Everything went really well. Haru became comfortable. His friends got used to him. It was all so nice Makoto felt like he could cry again. But smiling to himself and looking out the window and then looking at Haru’s reflection, he told himself he was happy enough now that he didn’t have to do that anymore.

 

~

 

Deep underwater, in the dark caves at the bottom of the sea, the shadow was gazing into the blue gem that matched Haru’s eyes.

 

Haru.

 

The shadow supposed that was a fitting name for such a character. Sighing, he leaned back.

 

For a moment, he was still. Then grinning, he leaped up and shuddered in excitement. Haru wouldn’t mind if he went up as well, would he?

 

Shaking out the drowsiness of his limbs, he started to swim out of his cave of magical gems, and in the darkness of the depth in the ocean – he started to swim towards land.

 

Towards the sun, where he knew the shadow would melt away, and show his true merman-like form. Haru had only seen it once, and he had been so disgusted that he told him to stick with the shadow. Regardless, he didn’t really care, and that Makoto human looked quite interesting.

 

Smiling brightly, the merman continued to swim up to the surface. This would be fun.

 

~

 

“This is a ferris wheel.” Makoto laughed at Haru’s face.

 

He stared out the window in awe, eyes absorbing the magnificent sight.

 

The ocean at midnight, from a vantage point higher than Haru ever thought possible. He had only ever imagined birds being able to see these sights.

 

He never wanted to leave. The lights from the festival of something far down below brightly lit the edges where the water hit the docks. The deeper part of the ocean, the part where Haru used to live, where Haru felt most at home – was brightly illuminated from the light of the moon.

 

“It is…beau…tiful.” Haru slowly spoke, making Makoto smile. “Yeah, it really is.”

 

Makoto really liked to look at Haru like this. They were sitting on opposite ends in the little carriage, and it was very quiet. Just how Haru liked it.

 

The lights – both natural and man-made - glowed on Haru’s face, which only reassured Makotos belief in the beauty of the supernatural.

 

No. Makoto blinked and got rid of that thought. Haru wasn’t supernatural. He was just Haru. Makoto’s Haru. His boyfriend. His lover. The one person that Makoto felt comfortable rambling to. The one person who would try things that nobody would try with Makoto before. Haru was just amazing. Makoto had never been more grateful to the moon than he had been since he met the boy.

 

“Do you like it?” Makoto asked, smiling when Haru turned away from the window to fully look at him with his deep blue eyes.

  
“Love.” Haru spoke softly and slowly. Makoto also found it absolutely adorable that Haru only spoke when he had to around other people, and even then, he spoke slowly and dragged out long sentences that somehow convinced people to not ask him questions again. But for Makoto, he barely even used words. He spoke clearly and more naturally with him, and whenever Haru used big words in front of him, Makoto was immensely proud.   
  
Nobody but Makoto really knew how big of an achievement that was.

 

Haru had turned back to look out at the ocean, and gazed at the rippling waters far below. Makoto wondered sometimes, if he missed it.

 

If Haru missed the ocean, if he missed being a merman – if he missed being in his natural form. If he missed being….himself.

 

Almost immediately, Haru looks back over at Makoto, who blushes at the intensity in Harus eyes.

 

Trying to not move or shake the carriage as much as possible, Haru quickly gets up and sits down next to Makoto. He leans his head on Makoto’s shoulder and sighs.

 

“Good.” He murmers quietly, and Makoto swears his heart has never pounded or raced as hard and as fast as it was at that moment.

 

He wanted to cry all over again. Haru really was too much for him and it was most definitely a good thing.

 

~

 

Sousuke grimaced. “Honestly, why are we still here?” Rin shrugged and continued to hum before moving his knight. A few seconds later, Rei proudly exclaimed “Checkmate!” and laughed at Rin’s misfortune.

 

In the large cavernous like living room, the four of them were in Nagisa and Rei’s lab/mansion and had been there for hours for lunch and games of chess. Sousuke was a bit tired. There were also going to meet Makoto in a few hours and Sousuke wasn’t sure if he was going to have enough energy if he spent any more time here.

 

Nagisa bounced up and down on his trampoline but there was only a hint of a smile on his face. “Because, before we go see Mako-chan, we need to figure out what we think of Haru-chan!”

 

Sousuke looked at the jumping blonde in curiosity while dodging a flying pawn. “It seemed like you liked him a lot.” He commented. Nagisa laughed. “Sousuke-chan, do you not know me at all? I say that stuff to all of Mako-chan’s partners!”

 

Rei avoided the pawn and the following bishop, then popped back up to laugh even more. “It’s true,” He panted between laughs. “It’s a rehearsed script. It’s automatic, spouting some nonsense that Makoto will believe, while in Nagisa’s head, the real evaluation is happening. Rin, get over yourself, please! It’s only the twentieth time that I’ve beaten you!”

 

“YOU’RE A FUCKING SCIENTIST.”

 

Sousuke pulled a red-faced Rin back down to the couch. “Really? Well, then what was the analysis on him?”

 

Nagisa continued to jump, smiling as his face lit up in revelation. “The finale analysis was that he is an underdeveloped human!”

 

Rei stopped gloating and put his hand to his face. “I’m a scientist, yet I married an air-head. Nagisa, there’s no possible way that at Haruka’s age, he could still possibly be,” he held up air quotes, “underdeveloped.”

 

Rin tossed the queen to Nagisa, who in turn nailed it at Rei’s head. “Husband, let me explain my reasoning before you call your partner and a fucking astronaut an airhead. First, he shows all the perfect signs of a normal human being, except for the fact that he chose to speak as little as possible.”

 

Rin sighed, cooling down a little bit, but still angrily twirling the king through his fingers. “I’ve met a couple of people who don’t like to talk. They’re normal.”

 

“Second, he slouches. Well, actually it would be more of a bottom half issue than upper half. When he sat down, his back was straight up – all graceful and regal. But when he was standing, his legs were considerably weaker. Not weak enough to cause a scene, but maybe like he had an injury in his legs.”

 

Sousuke thought about that. Nagisa wasn’t wrong. He knew from personal experience about injuries.

 

Nagisa continued to bounce, ignoring his husbands sobbing in the corner, continuing to speak. “And yet, third – he really really really loves Mako-chan. It’s strange.” Nagisa stopped jumping and stood perfectly still on the trampoline – causing the other three to look up at him in shock.

 

“He’s human – yet he’s not. He’s so void of any emotion, but even I can feel the love radiating from him for Mako-chan. And because of that,” he turns to look at the rest of them. “I’ve decided to let him be.” Nagisa even smiles a little. “He really loves Mako-chan. I don’t want to change anything about that.”

 

Rei smiled warmly at his husband. Sousuke and Rin looked at each other and got up with a new found resolution in their mind.

 

“Let’s go meet them.”

 

Rin and Sousuke led the way, and Nagisa bounced off the trampoline to offer a hand to his husband.

 

“I can’t believe you called me an airhead.”

  
“Sorry! I was caught up in the moment…you know I don’t beat Rin at a lot of things.”

 

“Honey, you’re a scientist.”

 

“That doesn’t always mean anything!!”

 

“What if I said I loved you because you are a scientist?”

 

“W-well, uh, I would say, uh-“

 

“YOU HAVE A KINK FOR NERDS!”

 

“Shut up Rin, you’re like twelve!!!”

 

“Nagisa, fight me!”

 

“So we’re never leaving the house?”

 

“GET IN THE CAR SOUSUKE.”

 

~

 

Makoto stared out of his apartment balcony to the wide vast ocean below.

 

“Haru, do you know what limbo is?” He called, and the black haired boy poked his head out of the bedroom. Walking out in some of Makoto’s clothes, he shakes his head.   


“Limbo is a place or state of oblivion to which persons or things are regarded as being relegated when cast aside, forgotten, past, or out of date.” Makoto recited, as easily as remembering his birthday. Haru looked at him curiously before walking towards him.

 

“Limbo is scary. You repeat yourself in limbo. You do the same things and you live the same experiences and you live in a world where everything is the same.” Makoto keeps repeating, until Haru comes and stands next to him on the balcony. Makoto looked down at him then slowly laced his fingers with Haru’s.

 

“Sounds bad.” Haru said quietly.

 

Makoto nodded. “It is bad.” Then after a moment of silence, then seemingly remembering who he was, he blinked and snapped out of his trance.

 

“But it’s not around anymore.” He rushed to say, looking at Haru earnestly. “I don’t believe that we’re in limbo…anymore.”

 

Haru nodded. Makoto was fairly certain that Haru didn’t know what he was talking about. But it was fine, he realized. It was fine now. Limbo was just an idea he had in his head about his world.

 

Looking out to the sea with Harus hand in his, Makoto somewhat realized that he had never really been in limbo all along. He just had to find the light in his light to show him where he really was.

 

He had Haru now, and it made all the difference.

 

There was a knock on the door and some impatient shouting following quickly. Haru looked at the door and looked back at Makoto, still staring out into the ocean. Then gently, he tugged Makoto away from the setting sun, back to inside the apartment and going to meet their friends – leaving the sun to set on its own time, with nobody watching.

 

~

 

Haru wondered how he got to this point. This point where he spends every waking moment with Makoto and immerses himself into the life of a human. He asks the moon sometimes about humans. Why they and mermaids were made differently.

 

The moon simply asks then if he wants to turn back and Haru always replies, “No, I want to stay with Makoto.”

 

Haru figures that it was just one of those things. Like how the ocean was blue. Or leaves were green. How Makoto’s wall was beige and his floor was brown. How Rin’s hair was a weird maroon red.

 

And when Haru thinks about it even more, he realizes that the nature of the world was too complex to understand.

 

Standing in Makoto’s kitchen, staring at the microwave, required enough thinking for the moment. He frowned and looked at the package of ramen? Haru could barely read Japanese. He could barely understand the numbers on the buttons. Which one heated it up? Makoto had done it before, and Haru had watched very carefully. But now, he couldn’t even figure out where to start.

 

Then the door opened, and Haru heard “I’m home! Haru?” Sighing and realizing he spent the whole day staring at the microwave, he walked out and greeted Makoto.

 

“Hi.” Haru mumbled as he walked into Makoto’s open arms. “Hello.” Makoto smiled fondly. “How was your day?” He asked, and Haru looked to the side. “Good.” Makoto followed Haru’s eyes to the kitchen and curious, looked inside and quickly covered his hand to hide his giggle. “Did you try to use the microwave?” Haru looked away, but secretly smiled at Makoto’s sudden laughter.

 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Haru-chan, I’m not making fun of you.” He wheezed, and Haru blankly stared at him (nearly radiating love and passion for this boy he understood through actions).

 

Makoto stopped laughing and looked into Haru’s eyes, spilling emotions that only Haru could see.

 

“Pretty.” Haru said quietly, and Makoto flushed. “Haru! T-thank you…” Makoto had to look away so Haru wouldn’t see how red he was.

 

Haru smiled at him, and after a moment, Makoto looked back at Haru and smiles as well, eyes closed in happiness, light from the window behind him from the sun illuminating Makoto’s gentle face.

 

He looks like an angel, and Haru is struck frozen in awe.

 

And it’s in this moment that he realizes that he understands how he got to this point.

 

This point where Makoto bathed in sunlight reminds Haru of Makoto falling underwater and Haru has instincts to bring him up higher, reaching a surface to what they know not of. Haru thinks that he could spend forever like this, just taking in this human’s face, a face like his own but from different backgrounds. It’s remarkable, Haru thinks, how much I seem to be fine without the moon.

 

There’s a knock on the door and some frenzied screaming and Makoto’s green eyes open and he rushes to open the door for his friends. Haru just watches Makoto from behind, smiling all the while.

 

“Haru, let’s go! Dinner is waiting!” Makoto calls and Haru snaps out of his trance, grabbing a ‘jacket’, and following Makoto out of the apartment, leaving the window of the setting sun behind the closed door.

 

~

 

They’re walking along the beach, taking a new route to a new restaurant today. Makoto has explained his feelings of limbo to the rest of his friends now, and they’re starting to understand his emotions in the same way he has since the beginning.

 

Haru walks next to Makoto, who chatters happily with Sousuke. Rin and Rei are walking in front of them, apparently fighting about a king that Haru fails to understand. Nagisa is bouncing up and down, a little more ahead than all of them, following the GPS on his phone to the new restaurant – then all of a sudden he stops short.

 

“Guys.”

 

It’s a little unusual to hear Nagisa so serious. They all watch as he looks to the side of the sidewalk, where the beach is, and starts to run towards the water.

 

Rei is the first to respond, screaming “OHMYGOD NAGISA WHAT ARE YOU DOING”, stumbling and tripping his way down the sandy hill. Rin follows after, a little more careful in with the sand because duh, these are designer shoes and we were not supposed to walk in the sand today dumbass Nagisa. After a shocked moment of silence, the other three dumbly follow.

 

They all finally reach where Nagisa is standing, and Makoto wonders if he’ll have to close all of his friends (plus his boyfriends) open jaws. After a closer look at what they’re standing over, Makoto feels his own jaw drop too.

 

It’s a guy. A _naked_ guy. With pink hair. He has no clothes on and there is blood all over his legs and he is unconscious _and he is **naked**._

And Nagisa kneels down, and shakes the body and everybody save Haru and Makoto freak out.

 

“Nagisa, stop that now!”

 

“But he-“

 

**‘Wake up bastard.’**

 

Everybody freezes. The pink haired guy shifts, and as everybody watches in shock, he lifts himself up on shaky arms and brings his face up. Eyes open to reveal purple orbs, and a lovely smile that literally brought fire to Haru’s eyes lit up the man’s face.

 

 **‘Is that really any way to treat your best friend?’** He asked in that stupid silky voice, god, Haru really wanted to rip out his vocal chords.

 

Makoto is unable to comprehend this. …language, can they call this that? It sounds like silk in their ears, and it’s in such a foreign tongue, they’re not really able to comprehend what communication is even happening.

 

**‘You’re a bitch.’**

**‘Love you too, Haruuu.’**

 

Haru moves faster than he ever has on human legs before and pins the pink haired guy down and fucking growls. Makoto’s jaw is about to fall off and Rin offhandedly wonders if he’ll have to close it for him.

 

**‘You can’t call me that.’**

 

Pink-haired guy smirks. **‘Hey, teach me how to speak human. I like your human. He’s pretty-‘**

 

Haru slaps the demon and Makoto suddenly is there, grabbing Haru away (because he doesn’t like what this pink-haired guy is doing to his sweet and innocent boyfriend).

 

“H-haru? Can you…uh, fucking explain?” Rin stammers out, and Sousuke has forgotten how to breathe a little while ago. Nagisa is still poking at an oblivious pink-haired man (still nAKED AND BLEEDING GUYS Rei can’t help but scream in the background) and Makoto is just kind of hugging Haru, frozen and stubborn.

 

Haru is seething and can barely think right. “Demon.” He mutters, and Rin is so fucking flabbergasted. Rei finally wrestles Sousukes coat away from his frozen figure and shoves it in the pink-haired guy, face permanently red. The pink haired guy smiles at him like he’s god. Nagisa wonders how he can get Rei that red later on tonight.

 

 **‘Haru, please. Don’t be bossy. I’m only up here for a little vacation!’** The pink-haired man smiles and Haru pretends to cut his head off and Makoto is a little worried at this new behavior. **‘I’m not gonna steal your human. I just like him.’** There’s a blinding grin, before it evolves into a smirk that makes Haru want to kill himself. **‘Plus, admit it. You missed me you boo.’**

 

 **‘What the hell do you want to be called.’** The pink-haired man’s smile could replace the sun. Haru hates this side of the demon. He’s too playful and his smile is too similar to the sun. He deserves to sit in the bottom of the ocean. **‘How did your human name you?’**

 

**‘You know how, you stupid stalker.’**

**‘Okay haha, well I have no lover so I’ll call myself…Kisumi!’**

 

“Kisumi?” Makoto mumbles to himself and Haru pats poor Makoto lovingly. Don’t worry about stupid pink demon, Haru will take care of stupid so he can leave faster and Haru can have Makoto all to himself again.

 

Haru sighs and turns to the others and points to stupid and repeats “Kisumi.”

 

“Hi Kisumi.” Nagisa waves. Kisumi waves back.

 

“I fucking can’t.” Rin mutters and grabs Sousukes hand, dragging them away from the beach. “We’re going to the fucking restaurant, text us if you’re alive in a couple of hours.”

 

Rei and Nagisa follow.

 

And Makoto is still unresponsive. This is so not how the little mermaid ended.

 

Wait. Makoto seems to regain his sanity for a moment. “Are you a merman too?!” He asks, and Kisumi smiles brightly. Haru frowns. “Demon.” He says, and Kisumi pouts. “Merman.” He corrects and Haru narrows his eyes. Does that bastard think that he can be a human for less than a day and already know how to speak the language? As if he’s going to let stupid pink-head steal Makoto’s attention away from him.

 

But…Kisumi was here.

 

He officially, really had nothing to go back to the ocean for. Ever.

 

Haru looks at the setting sun. The water is very pretty.

 

 **‘Kisumi.’** He says in their native tongue. Kisumi looks at him with interest. **‘Yes Haru?’**

 

**‘It’s actually very nice up here. With angels above the water.’**

 

Kisumi smiled. **‘Well, now that I’m here I can understand your reasoning a little bit more.’** He grimaces at his bloody legs, which seem to have gone completely unnoticed all evening. **‘Although this hurts a little.’**

 

Makoto immediately notices. “Oh my god, okay, let’s go back to my apartment and get that fixed up.” Haru smiles at Makoto’s kindness and helps Kisumi stand up, still on bloody legs and wrapped in Sousukes big coat.

 

“I’m definitely out of limbo now.” Makoto wonders aloud in awe. “Hey, Haru let’s go back home okay?”

 

Haru is standing up now, facing the sea, his old home. He’s close to the water, but he doesn’t go in so he doesn’t ruin Makoto’s shoes anymore than he already has with sand.

 

For a moment, Makoto wonders if he really does want to go back underwater.

 

Then Haru closes his eyes, takes in a deep breath and exhales.

 

 **'Thank you moon.'** He thinks.

 

He opens his beautiful blue eyes again and turns back to Makoto with a content look on his face.

 

“Home.”

 

Makoto smiles and Kisumi just feels so awkward intruding with his bloody legs and his inability to understand human. But he feels a little better when Haru drapes Kisumi’s other arm around his own shoulder and the three start to make their way back to the sidewalk and to Makoto’s home together.

 

“Hey Haru?”

 

 

“Hm?”

 

 

“Let’s watch a movie when we get home. Call it a lazy night.”

 

 

“Mo…vie?”

 

 

 

“It’ll be a good movie, I promise. You’ll like it. It’s called The Little Mermaid.”

 

 

 

 

the end

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks so much for reading and sticking with this adaption of the little mermaid makoharu style with my own horrible originality sneaked in here and there 
> 
> i really appreciate all the comments and kudos and reads to be honest - i'm glad you guys enjoyed this story and all it's unedited badly formatted quirks haha
> 
> as soon as finals are over with, i'll hopefully be uploading more stories every day!
> 
> BLOG: http://oceanrosiex.tumblr.com  
> INSTA: @oc3a.n  
> (psst ^^ i post pretty things and ideas follow to talk to me cos i'm lonelyyy)
> 
> check out my series 'do zombies get distracted by good music' which is what i will be focusing on for a while now 
> 
> and there's really nothing other than that :) thanks for the reads, kudos, and comments - they mean a lot to me, you have no idea!
> 
>  
> 
> (i do hope haru and makoto will continue to be happy. i hope they live their lives the way they want to live, and not in limbo. i hope they do all they want to do with the people they want to be with and enjoy the little moments under the moon and away from the sun. 
> 
> above all, I'm all for haru and makoto growing old together. because that's what a love as easy and beautiful as the little mermaid ensures, don't you think?)


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